INDIANAPOLIS—The Center on Philanthropy will recognize two national philanthropic leaders for their contributions to philanthropy education and their continuing support of the Center during the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Spirit of Philanthropy Awards luncheon on April 26th in Indianapolis.
The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia, and Lumina Foundation for Education, headquartered in Indianapolis, are the Center’s honorees. The IUPUI awards annually celebrate individuals, corporations and foundations that have provided support for various university departments and programs through their gifts and their voluntary service. The Center on Philanthropy is a part of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
For several years, the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation has been a strong supporter of philanthropy education. Recognizing the potential influence of K-12 education on the philanthropic identities of children and with a commitment to helping students become generous and effective volunteers and donors, the foundation established the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Institute for Philanthropy and Service Learning at Atlanta’s Westminster Schools in 2003.
The institute develops philanthropy and service learning programs for the school’s constituencies, including parents, alumni and faculty, as well as students. Working in tandem with the Center on Philanthropy, the Glenn Institute developed The History and Economics of Philanthropy, a for-credit course for high school seniors, one of the first such courses nationally in secondary education.
"The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation supports important learning opportunities for young people and others who want to practice or encourage thoughtful, responsible giving and volunteering, said Gene Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy. "The foundation's insightful leadership has been invaluable to the Center and to shaping and strengthening philanthropy education nationally."
In 2007, the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation established the Glenn Family Innovation Fund at the Center on Philanthropy. The foundation’s visionary generosity will endow the Center with the flexibility to advance its cutting-edge work. The fund creates a permanent stream of infrastructure support that will allow the Center to respond rapidly to new opportunities, needs and challenges in the nonprofit sector. By providing seed money for experimentation, new ideas and innovative programs, it will ensure that nonprofits around the globe have the knowledge, leadership and training to fulfill their missions.
Glenn Foundation President, Thomas K. Glenn, II, is a former banker and professor and a member of the Center on Philanthropy’s Board of Visitors. He was named the 2004 Philanthropist of the Year by the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Lumina Foundation for Education, a national leader in advancing higher education, has played a critical role in expanding understanding and academic study of philanthropy. In 2005, Lumina awarded the Center on Philanthropy a grant to establish a fellowship program for students in the Center’s then newly created Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies degree program. More recently, Lumina Foundation made an additional grant to encourage other foundations and donors to support Ph.D. students at the Center. Its foresight in making that grant has inspired other donors to create endowments to support Ph.D. students.
The Ph.D. program, the first traditional-format doctoral program in Philanthropic Studies in the nation, provides opportunities to engage in in-depth examination of the most complex issues in philanthropy and prepares thoughtful future researchers and nonprofit sector leaders. The program emphasizes original research by doctoral candidates designed to help build the knowledge base about philanthropy and develop solutions and information for issues facing nonprofits, foundations and communities.
The Ph.D. program ultimately will help supply professors and researchers to the growing number of colleges and universities that offer courses and conduct research in philanthropy and related topics. Those earning this degree will be among the first generation of Ph.D.s specifically educated to teach and conduct research in Philanthropic Studies as a field of study in its own right.
"Lumina’s visionary support for our doctoral students is so important in part because the program will provide faculty members to these other emerging programs in the U.S. and globally. Lumina’s generosity will shape who teaches philanthropy and how it is taught for generations to come," Tempel said. "The foundation understands keenly that Ph.D. students build the body of knowledge and how important that is to a nascent field of study. Its generosity strengthens our capacity to secure additional philanthropic support."
Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through grants for research, innovation, communication and evaluation, as well as policy education and leadership development, Lumina Foundation addresses issues that affect access and educational attainment among all students, particularly underserved groups, including adult learners. Lumina Foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education remains one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and that society can make in its people.
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy, improving its practice, and enhancing participation in philanthropy through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations. The Center operates programs on the IUPUI and IU Bloomington campuses.
